Melkutus Party

The zither-like kantele has its roots deep in Finnish history and Venäläinen, on her debut album, embraces its beauty and magic by combining tradition and versatility as performer and composer. The melkutus of the title refers to the stories of a dance which might have gone on all night, or even over days with the dancer falling into a deep trance. Fast forward to today, and we have the inspiration for what the musicians describe as a ‘hypnotic mix of tradition and electronics.’

Venäläinen treats us to old Finnish dance tunes, teasing their rhythms playfully until they leave their old village dance halls behind. She mostly uses her 19-string warm-sounding kantele; even more beautiful is the ten-string instrument she uses on ‘Sirgo’. This, however, is only part of the album’s ‘hypnotic mix’: the aim is to combine tradition with party music, and electronic beats drive each track amid finely crafted soundscapes with the result that the kantele detail is often lost in the depths of a forest of sound.

Finnish village dance halls are turned into vibrant club sounds, which is fine if you do want to dance all night long.